After Britain abolished slavery throughout most of its empire in 1834, Victorians adopted a creed of “anti-slavery” as a vital part of their national identity and sense of moral superiority over ...
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After Britain abolished slavery throughout most of its empire in 1834, Victorians adopted a creed of “anti-slavery” as a vital part of their national identity and sense of moral superiority over other civilizations. The British government used diplomacy, pressure, and violence to suppress the slave trade, while the Royal Navy enforced abolition worldwide and an anxious public debated the true responsibilities of an anti-slavery nation. This crusade was far from altruistic or compassionate, but the book argues that it forged national debates and political culture long after the famous abolitionist campaigns of William Wilberforce and Thomas Clarkson had faded into memory. These anti-slavery passions shaped racist and imperialist prejudices, new forms of coerced labor, and the expansion of colonial possessions. The book explores the intersection of philanthropic, imperial, and economic interests that underlay Britain's anti-slavery zeal—from London to Liberia, the Sudan to South Africa, Canada to the Caribbean, and the British East India Company to the Confederate States of America. The book rewrites the history of the British Empire and a century-long effort to end the global trade in human lives.Less

Freedom Burning : Anti-Slavery and Empire in Victorian Britain

Richard Huzzey

Published in print: 2012-08-13

After Britain abolished slavery throughout most of its empire in 1834, Victorians adopted a creed of “anti-slavery” as a vital part of their national identity and sense of moral superiority over other civilizations. The British government used diplomacy, pressure, and violence to suppress the slave trade, while the Royal Navy enforced abolition worldwide and an anxious public debated the true responsibilities of an anti-slavery nation. This crusade was far from altruistic or compassionate, but the book argues that it forged national debates and political culture long after the famous abolitionist campaigns of William Wilberforce and Thomas Clarkson had faded into memory. These anti-slavery passions shaped racist and imperialist prejudices, new forms of coerced labor, and the expansion of colonial possessions. The book explores the intersection of philanthropic, imperial, and economic interests that underlay Britain's anti-slavery zeal—from London to Liberia, the Sudan to South Africa, Canada to the Caribbean, and the British East India Company to the Confederate States of America. The book rewrites the history of the British Empire and a century-long effort to end the global trade in human lives.